Yes, if you are replacing a process which basically just converts low entropy energy into high entropy heat directly with something that does more interesting a

Yes, if you are replacing a process which basically just converts low entropy energy into high entropy heat directly with something that does more interesting along the way, the end result is basically the same from an entropy point of view. Generally we as a species are not limited by the entropy available at the moment, but by our ability to harness it and the consequences of doing so in terms of the balances of the systems that it flows through.